Artist&#39;s bench



Sept. 3, 1968 w. G. LEVY 3,399,925

ARTIST S BENCH Filed Feb. '15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. G. LEVY ARTIST 5 BENCH Sept. 3, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1967 FIG 4 I l/H Ill/Illil/f/ll/ Ill] FIG 7 United States Patent 3,399,925 ARTISTS BENCH William G. Levy, Glen, N.H. Yield House, North Conway, N.H. 03860) Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser- No. 616,378 7 Claims. (Cl. 297-156) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable artists bench having a seat member, a drawer slidable on the seat member, an easel-forming support foldable against one side of the seat member and legs foldable against the opposite side of the seat member.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to a portable artists bench and more particularly to such artists equipment adapted to be folded when not in use.

An object of the invention is to provide an artists bench incorporating means providing an easel in con venient position for use by the artist when sitting on the bench, and incorporating a supply container adapted to hold artists gear.

A further object is to provide such artists eqiupment which is conveniently foldable into small compass for storage or transport.

Another object is to provide such artists equipment of simple and effective construction.

Summary of the invention The invention provides a portable combined artists bench, easel and supply container comprising a seat member which may comprise two spaced flat seat members, legs pivoted on the seat member for movement between an operative position and a closed position, preferably together with means for holding the legs in operative position and means for holding the legs in closed position, a suppy container comprising a drawer supported on said seat member preferably between said flat seat members so that it is movable from a closed position to an open position disposed laterally of the seat member so as to expose the drawer contents, and a support member adapted to serve as an easel and pivoted on the seat member for movement between an operative position extending above said seat member toa closed position folded against the seat member, preferably also including means for holding the support member in its operative position. In a preferred form, an extension member is provided on the support member movable, preferably slidably movable, between an operative position which may extend beyond the outline of the support member and a closed position in which it may lie substantially within said outline, with means on the extension member for clamping and holding the work or objects to be painted, such as canvasses or boards. Preferably said clamping means on the extension member is adapted, when said extension member and said support member are in their closed positions, to engage the seat member to hold the extension and support members in such closed positions. Said support member and legs when closed preferably lie flat against opposite sides of the seat member.

Further features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view with all parts in operative position and the drawer partly open;

3,399,925 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, the illustrative artists bench comprises a seat member 2 comprising two spaced, flat seat members, the upper sea-t member 4 providing a seat and the lower seat member 6 being secured to the upper seat member 4 by seat end members 8 and 10. The members 4, 6, 8 and 10 are secured to each other to form a unitary, rigid structure.

Fitted in seat member 2 is a drawer 12 providing a supply container. The drawer 12 is provided with divider partitions 14, as shown, for the convenient separate storage of paints, brushes and other artists gear. The drawer 12 is slidable from side to side of the seat member 2 from its closed position within the seat member to positions laterally of the seat member wherein the contents of the drawer are exposed for convenient access. The drawer 12 may be entirely removed, for example so it can if desired be placed in a convenient location beside the bench when the artist is working. The drawer 12 is provided with a handle 16 for moving it in and out. Mounted on each of the seat end members 8 and 10, on their edge adjacent the end of the drawer which carries the handle 16, is a turnbutton 18 adapted to be turned to, the position shown in FIG. 3 to secure the drawer in closed position or moved to the position of FIG. 1 permitting the drawer to be opened.

Pivotally mounted on the lower seat member 6, by means of a piano hinge 20, is a leg 22. The leg 22 in its operative position shown in FIG. 1 extends downwardly for engagement with the ground to hold the upper seat member 4 at a suitable height, the upper portion of the leg lying fiat against the seat end member 10 thus contributing to rigidity of the bench when in use. The leg 22 is adapted to be held in its operative position by a turnbutton 24. A similar leg 28 is pivoted by means of a piano hinge 30 to the opposite seat end member 8. When in its operative position the upper end of leg 28 engages the adjacent, beveled end of the lower sea-t member 6 and also makes engagement with the adjacent seat end member 8, providing firm support of the bench. The leg 28 is adapted to be held in its open position by a turnbutton 32 suitably mounted as by means of a block 34 on the seat end member 8. When the turnbuttons 24 and 32 are moved to a position to release the legs 22 and 28, the legs may be folded inwardly to lie substantially flat against the lower seat member 6, as shown in FIG. 3. A turnbutton 36 pivotally mounted on the lower seat member 6 is provided to secure the legs in this closed position.

Pivotally mounted on the upper bench member 4 by means of butt hinges 38, 40 is a support member 42. The support member 42 is adapted to provide an easel for holding the work or object 43 to be painted in a position convenient for the artist sitting on the seat 4. In its operative position, shown in FIG. 5, the lower end of the support member 42 engages the outer surface of the seat end member 8 and is engaged by the turnbutton 32 to hold the support member 42 in operative position.

The support member 42 is provided with an extension member 44 slidable on the support member 42 in the direction toward and away from the seat member 2 to increase the effective size of the support member. For this purpose, the edges of the extension member 44 may be beveled, as shown particularly in FIG. 4, to cooperate with oppositely beveled guide surfaces in the support member 42. The extension member 44 carries adjacent its upper end a clamp 46 for engaging and holding the work 43. Conveniently the clamp 46 is secured to the extension member 44 by means of a thumb screw 48 threaded into the extension member 44, whereby the clamp 46 may be tightened down against the work as desired.

For further supporting the work 43 there is provided a stop 50 adjustably and removably mounted on the upper surface of the upper seat member 4. :The stop 50 is provided with pins 54 secured thereto which may be inserted selectively in any of several sets of holes 54 in the upper seat member 4 located at different distances from the support member 42. As appears to best advantage in FIG. 5, the work 43 may be placed with its lower edge resting on the upper surface of the seat member 4 and bearing against the stop 50, with its upper end leaning against the support member 42 and extension member 44. The extension 44 may be raised as required to allow the work 43 to assume this position and then lowered until the clamp 46 may suitably be engaged with the work. The work is thus firmly held in position and may be adjusted into different inclinations as the artist may prefer by suitable adjustment of the stop 50 and the extension member 44.

When the bench is in use, the extension member 42 may be placed in its operative position shown in FIG. 1, or may be folded down against the seat member 4 as the artist may prefer, the support member 42 serving in its lowered position as a table or work surface on which the canvas or board or other work may be placed.

When the bench is to be taken out of use, for example for storage or transportation, the stop 50 may be removed and placed within the drawer 12. Other gear as desired also may be placed in the drawer 12. The drawer then may be closed and secured in closed position by turning the turnbuttons 18.

The easel may be folded to closed position by releasing the turnbutton 32 and swinging the support member 42 on its hinges 38, 40 down into engagement with the upper seat member 4 so that it lies substantially flat against the same. The extension member 44 may then be pushed inwardly and the clamp 46 engaged with the upper seat member 4 as in FIG. 3, to secure both the support member 42 and the extension member 44 in their closed positions.

The legs 22, 28 may be folded to closed position by first turning the turn-buttons 24, 32 to release the legs and then swinging the legs to lie substantially fiat against the lower seat member 6, the turnbutton 36 then being turned to the position shown in FIG. 2, to hold the legs in their closed positions.

In this closed condition the bench may conveniently be carried about by use of the handle 16.

All of the parts of the bench except the hardware may conveniently be made of wood, an exterior grade of plywood serving admirably for many of the parts. The pins 54 may be made from dowel stock.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention has provided a useful and convenient artists bench serving as a portable combined bench, easel and supply container, which may be folded into convenient size and shape for transport or storage and easily and quickly unfolded when it is to be placed in use.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail for purposes of disclosure of the invention, the invention is not confined thereto but comprises all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable artists bench comprising a seat member, legs pivoted on said seat member to move between an operative position and a closed position, a drawer supported on said seat member and movable from a closed position to an open position laterally of said seat member exposing the drawer contents, a support member pivoted on said seat member for movement between an operative position extending above said seat member to form an easel to a closed position adjacent said seat member, means for holding said support member in its operative position, an extension member to increase the effective size of said support member movable on said support member between an operative position extending beyond the outline of said support member and a closed position substantially within the outline of said support member, and means on said extension member for engaging and holding an object to be painted.

2. The artists bench of claim 1 wherein said means on said extension member is adapted, when said extension member and said support member are in their closed positions, to engage said seat member to hold said extension member and said support member in closed positions.

3. The artists bench of claim 2 wherein said extension member is slidable on said support member in 'a direction toward and away from said seat member.

4. The artists bench of claim 3 wherein said legs and said support member when in their closed positions lie substantially flat against opposite sides of said seat member.

5. The artists bench of claim 4 further comprising means for holding said legs in operative position and means for holding said legs in closed position.

6. The artists bench of claim 5 wherein said seat member comprises spaced fiat members .and said drawer is disposed between said fiat members.

7. The artists bench of claim 6 further comprising a stop member detachab'ly mounted on the upper surface of said seat member adjacent said support member for engagement with the object to be painted to hold it against movement away from said support member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 487,553 12/1892 Cole 297--156 2,017,518 10/1935 Wagner 248456 2,159,517 5/1939 Beeman 297156 2,372,077 3/1945 Glinecki 297156 2,550,550 4/ 1951 Goodstein 248-452 X 2,652,887 9/1955 Fitzgerald 297l92 X 2,918,107 12/1959 Cote 297156 3,117,816 1/1964 De Sena 297156 3,244,450 4/ 1966 Boutin 248-456 JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

